I’m not a professional photographer. I don’t have a fancy camera and I’ve never had any training.
BUT... I have taken thousands of dog photos and had many a compliment on them.
And, I might have some tips from a training perspective that photographers might not know about….
So, here are my top tips for getting fab photos of your dog!
Get the camera at eye level. See in my photos of Molly here the huge difference. It’s exactly the same photo, same dog, same pose, literally seconds apart. The only difference is the level my phone is at.
Be patient and anticipate - wait for the perfect opportunity and be quick! Dogs are going to be distracted by things (they aren’t robots!) so make sure to wait for that perfect opportunity to click. Alternatively, continuously click and scroll through the photos afterwards for the best one!
3. If you want that ears-forward, droopy-face look, get below eye level. I ADORE those photos when a dog is looking down at the camera, it’s just adorably cute.
4. Use treats and toys. If you want your dog to look at the camera, hold the treat / toy just above your phone. Give it a squeak if you want their ears forwards. Alternatively, use treats and toys to get great action shots! Throw a treat in the air for them to catch, get your dog running for a ball or playing with a teddy!
5. Use a good background. If you have a dark coloured dog and the background is dark, they won’t stand out, whereas a too-bright background will not allow your camera to get all the details of your dog.
6. Teach a stay. This is one of the most important behaviours to teach if you want good poses! You can get your dog to sit / down at a distance and pose in some awesome places!
7. Minimise distractions. If you want your dog to be focusing on the camera, they have to be unbothered by everything else that’s going on around them.
8. Teach a watch me cue. This is great if you want your dog to look at you / the camera.
9. Teach some cute poses! Here are some of my favourites!
Chin rest (getting them to rest their chin on the floor, your hand, or any platform). Top left in the photos below.
Wave (similar to paw but at a distance so your hand instead there) Bottom left.
Paws on / Platform. (Paws on = front paws on any object. Bottom middle. Platform = all paws on any object, either in stand, sit, or down position. Bottom right).
Jump (jump over any object, such as a log or stream) Top right.
After more tips and advice? Join my email list so you can get free tips and tricks straight to your inbox - no more missing out!
Just click the button below and enter your email address where it says 'subscribe' and you're all done!
Comments